Senior Josh Crowther was named 1A All State Honorable Mention. Crowther ranked first statewide in steals and second statewide in rebounds at the conclusion of his final year of high school basketball. Crowther was also chosen to play on the 1A South All Star team.

The Meridian Boys’ team finished fourth in Region 18.

Senior Estee Arts was named to the 1A All State Third Team. Arts averaged 8.78 points per game in her senior year as a point guard.

Seniors Rachel Allen and Daniella Langston were named 1A All State Honorable Mention. Allen was the leading scorer for the Mongoose averaging 14 points a game. Langston was key as a guard and was the second highest scorer this season with 33 baskets from the 3-point line.

Arts, Allen, and Langston were the driving force behind the Meridian Girls’ Team’s undefeated season and Region 18 championship.

Congratulations to these fabulous scholar athletes!

Click here for Boys 1A All State listings

Click here for Girls 1A All State listings

The girls are a close-knit group and have a great work ethic. Led by seniors Danielle Langston, Estee Arts, Rachel Allen, Jenna Higgins, Muzna Bukhari, and Kahee Shin, the team has already accomplished their goals for the season and still have games left to play.

Coach Madsen stated that the girls started the season with 2 goals, to win their region and to win a game at the State Tournament. The girls achieved both goals in impressive fashion. The team went undefeated in Region 18 and came into the State Tournament as the #1 seed. Then in the first round of the 2010 Utah State 1A Girls Basketball Championship Tournament, Meridian was paired against the Bryce Valley Lady Mustangs. The Mongooses were able to overcome a halftime deficit against the heavily favored Mustangs to win the game – the first Girls Basketball State Tournament win in school history.

These girls are special. They work hard and produce results – and have fun in the process.

They have a chance to do it again. Against Duchesne – tonight at 8:30 – in the winners bracket of the 2010 Girls Basketball State Tournament.

The team, coached by Travis Madsen were undefeated in Region play and entered the tournament as the Region 18 #1 Seed. The Meridian team is anchored by 4 starting seniors (Danielle Langston, Estee Arts, Jenna Higgins, and Rachel Allen) with freshman Jenna Crowther filling the final starting position.

The win was sweet revenge for the Mongooses who lost to the Lady Mustangs in the 1A Preseason Preview on the same court.

During the state tournament game, the Mongoose started with a quick basket to lead 2-0, but then went on a first quarter dry spell to end the first quarter behind 12-4. The second quarter Meridian outscored the Lady Mustangs by one point and went into the locker room at halftime behind by 7 points.

The Meridian team fought their way back into the game and tied the game late in the fourth quarter. Estee Arts scored two consecutive layups with under a minute to go in the game to give the Mongoose a 4 point lead and then the team held on to win the game 41-39.

The Lady Mustangs had a chance to win the game or tie with 1.7 seconds left to play but missed a three pointer at the buzzer.

Estee Arts led all players with 19 points including her two huge baskets in the final minute of play to seal the win.

For the second round, Meridian plays the Duchesne Eagles Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 8:30pm MST.

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Check out the replay of the game…